Employee Mental Health During COVID-19: Germany vs. South Africa

What the study looked at

The research poster examines how cultural and psychological factors influenced employee mental health during the pandemic. It focuses on workers in Germany and South Africa and looks at mental health stigma, self-compassion, work engagement and motivation.

The study starts from the idea that COVID-19 created major psychological strain in workplaces. Employees experienced uncertainty, isolation, changed workloads and financial pressure. But these stressors cannot be fully understood without culture and socio-economic context.

Theoretical background

The study combines cultural psychology with positive psychology. It uses Hofstede's cultural dimensions to explain how cultural values shape stress, crisis reactions and interpersonal relationships. Cultural norms can influence whether employees openly discuss psychological distress or feel shame about it.

The study also uses Positive Psychology 2.0 and the concept of self-compassion. Self-compassion means treating yourself with understanding, kindness and acceptance during difficult situations instead of responding with self-criticism or shame. During a crisis, self-compassion can act as a coping resource.

Work engagement and motivation are also important. Work engagement means feeling energy, dedication and involvement in work. Intrinsic motivation is connected to personal fulfillment and psychological health. Amotivation, which means a lack of purpose or motivation, is expected to harm mental health.

Findings in Germany

German employees generally showed a more positive mental health profile. Compared with South African employees, they reported fewer mental health problems. This suggests lower levels of psychological distress during COVID-19.

German participants also reported lower levels of mental health shame. In simple terms, stigma around psychological difficulties appeared weaker in Germany. This may mean that talking about mental health is more socially accepted and that people face fewer barriers when seeking help.

German employees also showed higher self-compassion. The researchers interpret this as stronger coping resources and greater emotional resilience during the crisis. People with higher self-compassion may handle uncertainty, stress and workplace disruption more effectively.

In Germany, shame and amotivation were linked to poorer mental health outcomes. Work engagement and intrinsic motivation were positively associated with mental health. This supports the idea that meaningful work and active engagement can protect against stress and burnout.

Findings in South Africa

South African employees showed a more vulnerable mental health profile. They reported significantly more mental health problems than German employees, suggesting higher psychological strain and stress.

They also reported higher mental health shame. This suggests stronger stigma around psychological distress, which may prevent people from discussing problems or seeking professional support. South African participants also showed lower self-compassion than the German sample.

The findings pointed toward broader vulnerability in the South African sample. Multiple risk factors, including stigma, lower coping capacity and socio-economic pressure, seemed to interact and negatively influence employee well-being.

Self-compassion emerged as the strongest predictor of mental health in South Africa. Employees with more self-compassion showed better psychological well-being despite difficult conditions. This highlights self-compassion as a powerful protective factor in stressful or resource-limited contexts.